Ok, being a "white" skinned, NOT "olive" skinned Italian, with light brown hair and hazel eyes, as well as having blond haired blue eyed relatives, this book and "Are Italians White" officially confused me. I figured it would be best to go right to the source to answer this question, and you all should to if you want to know, if, genetically speaking, Italians are "white". That source is ANTHROPOLOGY! I have cut and pasted factual information straight from the Wikipedia Encyclopedia, regarding Italian people, race, how and why they have the physical features they do, and DNA speaking, who Italians are closest related to. Here it is: The Italians are a Western European ethnic group with a linguistic Latin backround primarily associated with Italy and the Italian language.

There are almost 56 million autochthonous Italians in Italy, around 550,000 in Switzerland, around 25,000 in San Marino, as well as some smaller groups in Slovenia and Croatia.

There is a notable Italian diaspora in the United States (Italian-Americans), Brazil (Italian Brazilians), Argentina, Venezuela, Uruguay, Canada (Italian Canadian), Australia (Italian Australians), and France.



Ethnic makeup:

The history of Italy shows that over the centuries, quite a few non-native ethnic groups have poured into the Italian peninsula and Sicily since Roman times. Almost all of these ethnicities were European with the notable exception of a small number of Arabs who invaded Sicily in the 9th century, only to be driven away by the Normans, a people who were a mixture of Celtic and Viking origin who settled in France. The northern Italians of the Po Valley were historically recognized as Gauls (or Celts) by the Romans. Central Italians called themselves Latins and other linguistically related tribes (and are probably related to the Celts in the north). The main outsiders who came into Italy in the last 3000 years were the Greeks who heavily colonized the southern Italian Peninsula as well as Sicily before the 1st century BC. Then came the Ostrogoths in the 5th century AD who plundered and settled both north and southern Italy, and finally the Lombards in the 6th century AD. Both of these groups were Germanic tribes who had come from northern Europe seeking land, wealth, and living space. Other later groups such as the Franks, Byzantines, Normans, and the French Angevins who ruled parts of Italy, settled in smaller numbers.



Physical appearance and characteristics:

Some stereotype Italians as having tan coloured complexion and dark eyes, but this is not all true. While the Italian phenotype is European, they vary within this context. Sicilians tend to have the darkest complexions, but yet many native people with Nordic features can be found throughout the island. The peninsula contains people mainly descended from the prehistoric waves of migration from the north during the last ice age. These groups of stone-age Europeans gave rise to the indigenous Italian tribes such as the Romans and Etruscans.

Succesive waves of Greeks who populated the southern Peninsula and Sicily, were very numerous to the point that southern Italy became known Magna Graecia ("Greater Greece"), During the decline of the Roman Empire, invaders from northern Europe, mostly Germanic tribes plundered Italy, and then at least two massive waves of Germans during the medieval period. The resulting varied appearance of Italians shows that there is no typical Italian 'look' as some claim for other European countries. The shape of the Italian peninsula dictates that any land travel into the peninsula would have to come down from the main body of the European continent, which is exactly what happened during the last ice age. Later, sea travel facilitated contact and some migration around the Mediterranean.



As a result of the thousands of years of migration, Italians come in all hair and eye colours. Those who are taller with fair skin with blonde hair, blue/green eyes tend to dominate north and central Italy including sizeable pockets in Sicily and the south. Those who are brown hair, brown eyes with darker complexions tend to dominate southern parts. Darker complexions commmon in Sicily are due to high sun exposure rather than genetics. It is also interesting to note that the most common hair colour after brown in Sicily is red, and this is due to the Norman and to a smaller extent, Germanic invasions that occured in the south. Current genetic studies are attempting to detect distinct foreign gene signatures. The results so far indicate that Italians are most closely related to their immediate European neighbours... This little "Anthroplogy lesson" helped clear up any misunderstandings as to whether Italians are white or not. Hope it helps you.

Ok, being a "white" skinned, NOT "olive" skinned Italian, with light brown hair and hazel eyes, as well as having blond haired blue eyed relatives, this book and "Are Italians White" officially confused me. I figured it would be best to go right to the source to answer this question, and you all should to if you want to know, if, genetically speaking, Italians are "white". That source is ANTHROPOLOGY! I have cut and pasted factual information straight from the Wikipedia Encyclopedia, regarding Italian people, race, how and why they have the physical features they do, and DNA speaking, who Italians are closest related to. Here it is: The Italians are a Western European ethnic group with a linguistic Latin backround primarily associated with Italy and the Italian language.
There are almost 56 million autochthonous Italians in Italy, around 550,000 in Switzerland, around 25,000 in San Marino, as well as some smaller groups in Slovenia and Croatia.
There is a notable Italian diaspora in the United States (Italian-Americans), Brazil (Italian Brazilians), Argentina, Venezuela, Uruguay, Canada (Italian Canadian), Australia (Italian Australians), and France.

Ethnic makeup:
The history of Italy shows that over the centuries, quite a few non-native ethnic groups have poured into the Italian peninsula and Sicily since Roman times. Almost all of these ethnicities were European with the notable exception of a small number of Arabs who invaded Sicily in the 9th century, only to be driven away by the Normans, a people who were a mixture of Celtic and Viking origin who settled in France. The northern Italians of the Po Valley were historically recognized as Gauls (or Celts) by the Romans. Central Italians called themselves Latins and other linguistically related tribes (and are probably related to the Celts in the north). The main outsiders who came into Italy in the last 3000 years were the Greeks who heavily colonized the southern Italian Peninsula as well as Sicily before the 1st century BC. Then came the Ostrogoths in the 5th century AD who plundered and settled both north and southern Italy, and finally the Lombards in the 6th century AD. Both of these groups were Germanic tribes who had come from northern Europe seeking land, wealth, and living space. Other later groups such as the Franks, Byzantines, Normans, and the French Angevins who ruled parts of Italy, settled in smaller numbers.

Physical appearance and characteristics:
Some stereotype Italians as having tan coloured complexion and dark eyes, but this is not all true. While the Italian phenotype is European, they vary within this context. Sicilians tend to have the darkest complexions, but yet many native people with Nordic features can be found throughout the island. The peninsula contains people mainly descended from the prehistoric waves of migration from the north during the last ice age. These groups of stone-age Europeans gave rise to the indigenous Italian tribes such as the Romans and Etruscans.
Succesive waves of Greeks who populated the southern Peninsula and Sicily, were very numerous to the point that southern Italy became known Magna Graecia ("Greater Greece"), During the decline of the Roman Empire, invaders from northern Europe, mostly Germanic tribes plundered Italy, and then at least two massive waves of Germans during the medieval period. The resulting varied appearance of Italians shows that there is no typical Italian 'look' as some claim for other European countries. The shape of the Italian peninsula dictates that any land travel into the peninsula would have to come down from the main body of the European continent, which is exactly what happened during the last ice age. Later, sea travel facilitated contact and some migration around the Mediterranean.

As a result of the thousands of years of migration, Italians come in all hair and eye colours. Those who are taller with fair skin with blonde hair, blue/green eyes tend to dominate north and central Italy including sizeable pockets in Sicily and the south. Those who are brown hair, brown eyes with darker complexions tend to dominate southern parts. Darker complexions commmon in Sicily are due to high sun exposure rather than genetics. It is also interesting to note that the most common hair colour after brown in Sicily is red, and this is due to the Norman and to a smaller extent, Germanic invasions that occured in the south. Current genetic studies are attempting to detect distinct foreign gene signatures. The results so far indicate that Italians are most closely related to their immediate European neighbours... This little "Anthroplogy lesson" helped clear up any misunderstandings as to whether Italians are white or not. Hope it helps you.

Ok, being a "white" skinned, NOT "olive" skinned Italian, with light brown hair and hazel eyes, as well as having blond haired blue eyed relatives, this book and "Are Italians White" officially confused me. I figured it would be best to go right to the source to answer this question, and you all should to if you want to know, if, genetically speaking, Italians are "white". That source is ANTHROPOLOGY! I have cut and pasted factual information straight from the Wikipedia Encyclopedia, regarding Italian people, race, how and why they have the physical features they do, and DNA speaking, who Italians are closest related to. Here it is: The Italians are a Western European ethnic group with a linguistic Latin backround primarily associated with Italy and the Italian language.
There are almost 56 million autochthonous Italians in Italy, around 550,000 in Switzerland, around 25,000 in San Marino, as well as some smaller groups in Slovenia and Croatia.
There is a notable Italian diaspora in the United States (Italian-Americans), Brazil (Italian Brazilians), Argentina, Venezuela, Uruguay, Canada (Italian Canadian), Australia (Italian Australians), and France.

Ethnic makeup:
The history of Italy shows that over the centuries, quite a few non-native ethnic groups have poured into the Italian peninsula and Sicily since Roman times. Almost all of these ethnicities were European with the notable exception of a small number of Arabs who invaded Sicily in the 9th century, only to be driven away by the Normans, a people who were a mixture of Celtic and Viking origin who settled in France. The northern Italians of the Po Valley were historically recognized as Gauls (or Celts) by the Romans. Central Italians called themselves Latins and other linguistically related tribes (and are probably related to the Celts in the north). The main outsiders who came into Italy in the last 3000 years were the Greeks who heavily colonized the southern Italian Peninsula as well as Sicily before the 1st century BC. Then came the Ostrogoths in the 5th century AD who plundered and settled both north and southern Italy, and finally the Lombards in the 6th century AD. Both of these groups were Germanic tribes who had come from northern Europe seeking land, wealth, and living space. Other later groups such as the Franks, Byzantines, Normans, and the French Angevins who ruled parts of Italy, settled in smaller numbers.

Physical appearance and characteristics:
Some stereotype Italians as having tan coloured complexion and dark eyes, but this is not all true. While the Italian phenotype is European, they vary within this context. Sicilians tend to have the darkest complexions, but yet many native people with Nordic features can be found throughout the island. The peninsula contains people mainly descended from the prehistoric waves of migration from the north during the last ice age. These groups of stone-age Europeans gave rise to the indigenous Italian tribes such as the Romans and Etruscans.
Succesive waves of Greeks who populated the southern Peninsula and Sicily, were very numerous to the point that southern Italy became known Magna Graecia ("Greater Greece"), During the decline of the Roman Empire, invaders from northern Europe, mostly Germanic tribes plundered Italy, and then at least two massive waves of Germans during the medieval period. The resulting varied appearance of Italians shows that there is no typical Italian 'look' as some claim for other European countries. The shape of the Italian peninsula dictates that any land travel into the peninsula would have to come down from the main body of the European continent, which is exactly what happened during the last ice age. Later, sea travel facilitated contact and some migration around the Mediterranean.

As a result of the thousands of years of migration, Italians come in all hair and eye colours. Those who are taller with fair skin with blonde hair, blue/green eyes tend to dominate north and central Italy including sizeable pockets in Sicily and the south. Those who are brown hair, brown eyes with darker complexions tend to dominate southern parts. Darker complexions commmon in Sicily are due to high sun exposure rather than genetics. It is also interesting to note that the most common hair colour after brown in Sicily is red, and this is due to the Norman and to a smaller extent, Germanic invasions that occured in the south. Current genetic studies are attempting to detect distinct foreign gene signatures. The results so far indicate that Italians are most closely related to their immediate European neighbours... This little "Anthroplogy lesson" helped clear up any misunderstandings as to whether Italians are white or not. Hope it helps you.